Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-06-16

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RIOS Allowed 50 Luasn 81 Tsaaea
AHA Calf Fnian f4,
u We offer no apology for returning to the
consideration Of the apprentice question.
We believe Ii to be q subject upon which too
much cannot os said, until the evils OF the
system established BY trade unions shall boz
come thoroughly known and theboycott on
the American boy shall be forever removed.
That Il lie boycott on American boys, no
one who takes the trouble 10 consider the
subject, can fail TO perceive. By an arpi-
trary rule OF the trade union, the American
boy Of to-day Is forbidden TO learn any
trade, or at least the number Of appren-
tlees which the employer IL permitted 10
take is 20 limited that the prohibition Is
practically absolute.
What Ia to become OF the vast nsHiority--
the thousands and hundreds OF thousands
ofyoung men, VINO are growing up without
the knowledge OF any useful art, and de-
prived by the union OF the only means of
obtaining that knowledge? The most they
can hope for is to obtain employment as
hewers Of wood and drawers of water.
From every field Of industry, wnere
mechanical skill ~ required, IheI are ln-
exorably barred out. And American
mechanics will tell MS that this Is done TO
Improve the condition OF American labor
und American laborers. What IL this Inn
proved condition, and who Is 1t that rsaps
The benefit of itP Not tho American
mechanic; for under this Vicious rule the
race Of American mechanics must neces-
sarily die out, and the place OF the Ameri-
can skilled workman be eventually tllled
by importations from abroad. And that Is
what is actually going on to-day.
The American boy may not learn trade,
but the foreign boy who learns his trade
abroad may come TO this country, Join
union here, work at his trade, help by his
y1tt. In the unfnn IN dabur from tho IA mo
privilege the boys Of the country that has
offered him an asylum, and, IL he Is indus
triouaj aud saving, become eventually an
employer himself. And, az IN employer,
he will probably have working for him, as
ordinary, unskillsd laborers, Americans,
grown to mans estate, prevented by this
unjust and cruel regulation from ever rising
above the laborer's condition.
Is not this practical boycott OF the
American In favor OF the foreign-born boy2
That this is the practical operation OF the
rule no one can deny. Take any and eaery
trade In which skilled labor Ia required and
1t will be found that the proportion OF
skilled workmen OF foreign birth Is CON
tinually on the increase.
All society Is Interested In this question
American laborers more than any one else.
What do they expect Is to become OF their
boys, thus handicapped at their start In
lie. Is II to be wondered that the streets
OF all our large cities are thrcnged with
Idle and dlssolute young men, and that
crime and violence abound In the land?
MHjor-General o. .. Howard, In his-,ad-
dress to bis comrades at the cemetery on
Memorial-day, took occasion to enlarge on
the proposition that every boy should be
taught some trade while he Is young. This
Is no new idea. Its advantages are mani
fest. Yet how Is to be carried out Under
existing arrangements, the addition of one
| apprentice beyond the limited number al
lowed by the rules OF the unions would be
| followed by a strike In the factory or work.
shopof the offending employer. The remedy
| for this state OF affairs Gun only come, either
| from more enlightened education of labor
| ers themselves, or from some such move
ment as that inaugurated by employers in
| the building trades In Chicago. That move
ment has been denounced by demagogues---
notably by a contemporary In this city,
| as an attempt on the part OF employ
| ers TO crush labor and render il
the absolute slave of capital. 1t Is
| the influence OF such insincere and
| dangerous teachings as these that renders
union on the part Of employers necessary.
| II newspapers and public speakers who
claim to be the friends OF workingfnen
| would place these things before them In
their proper light, workingmen would,
themselves, see where they are drifting.
Instead OF this they seek popularity, not by
II W tutCh Lub
| wherein his true interest lies, but by pan
dering and mintstering to his worst pas
| sions and prejudices. Hence we see Amert-
can laborers, the fathers of the coming
| generation, encouraged In the belief that
they will improve their own condition and
| that OF their children by placing restrictions
In the way OF their learning and following
| the trade of their fathers, and taught to re-
| gard ms their enemy every one who would
attempt to have those restrictions removed
Far from regarding the Chicago move
| ment as one tending to crush labor, we re-
gard the demand of the recognition OF the
| right of every father to have his son taught
and OF every son TO learn trade, as the
| most important step that has boon taken
| for years In the interest of labor. II is not
only that; IL ls an important movement for
the benefit OF all organized society. Society
has right to protect itself against any
thing which threatens its existence. To
| protect itself against Ignorance 1t seeks to
provide universal education, and In many
states makes education compulsory. II has
at least the same right to protect itself
| against idleness, by removing restrictions
which compel its members to grow up in
ldleness, even though willing to work. En-
| forcsd idleness is even more dangerous TO
| society than the mere Ignorance which Is
the result of want of school education.
The uneducated man may be, aud fire.
| quently is, a hard working, honest, useful
and deserving member of society. Hit
| eTaey does not, by any means, necessarily
! lend 70 crime; but enforced ihleness does